Manuscripts & Abstracts
Publications
The Autoimmune COVID-19 Project seeks to understand the concerns and behaviors of patients with autoimmune conditions during the novel coronavirus pandemic. The research conducted aims to provide information to clinicians and their patients. The following studies have been published using data collected by the Autoimmune COVID-19 Project.
Concerns, healthcare use, and treatment interruptions in patients with common autoimmune rheumatic diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic
In this research article published in The Journal of Rheumatology, George et al, assess the concerns and healthcare-related behaviors of patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic. Among 1,517 patients with different autoimmune conditions, disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD) use, and geographic measures of urban status, income, education, and COVID-19 activity, the authors found that patients with RA, PsA, AS, and SLE frequently avoided office visits and laboratory testing. Their findings highlight the need for adequate healthcare access and attention to vulnerable populations during the pandemic.
Click here to read the full article.
Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Patients Living With Vasculitis
This study, conducted by Banerjee et al for the Vasculitis Patient-Powered Research Network, aimed to assess the concerns and health-related behaviors of patients with vasculitis during the COVID-19 pandemic. Survey responses from 662 patients demonstrated that during the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic those with vasculitis had high levels of concern and exhibited potentially harmful health-related behaviors.
Click here to view the full study and results.
Tracking clinical resources for coronavirus disease 2019
Throughout the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, assimilating and disseminating information has been challenging. In a recent review published in Current Opinions in Rheumatology, Duron et al evaluated threats to the validity of COVID-19 literature and proposed recommendations for rheumatologists and their patients. The authors note pandemic research exceptionalism and a parallel pandemic of misinformation as specific obstacles to finding high quality COVID-19 literature.
Click here to learn more about the challenges faced in finding high quality literature as well as the proposed recommendations for rheumatologists and patients searching for information.
Concerns and Health-Related Behaviors During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Patients with or Without Autoimmune Rheumatic Disease in a Large Physician Network
In a recent study, George et al compared the concerns and health-related behaviors of patients with autoimmune rheumatic disease with those who did not have non-autoimmune rheumatic conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic. 7176 patients with an autoimmune disease and 1828 patients without autoimmune diseases were included in this study based on completed surveys and meeting criteria for a primary diagnosis of interest. The authors found that patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases had more concerns specific to their condition and were less likely to avoid office visits and testing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Click here to read the full report and learn more about the findings.
Impact of COVID19 on Missed/Cancelled Rheumatology Office Visits and Parenteral Immunosuppressive Medications
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on healthcare, and the effect on rheumatology patients and providers is still unclear. In a recent study, Watrous et al look to understand the impact of COVID-19 on rheumatology office visits and parenteral immunosuppressive medications. The authors found the impact of COVID-19 on rheumatology office visits volume and immunosuppressive medications to be substantial, concluding that telemedicine and other tech focused healthcare tools are essential to optimizing rheumatology care and outcomes during the pandemic.
Click here to see the full results of this study.
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health care > 1,000 living with multiple sclerosis: A cross-sectional study
Those living with multiple sclerosis (MS) experienced changes in health behaviors and access to care due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the extent of the impact of the COVID-19 on this population has not been well characterized. In this cross-sectional survey of adults with MS registered in the iConquerMS platform, Vogel et al found that a majority of participants reported interruptions to their MS related care. Specifically, 64% of the 1,019 survey respondents canceled a medical visit, 22% canceled a neurologist visit, 11% canceled an MRI, 21% canceled a lab test, and 10% changed DMT in some way all due to COVID-19 related concerns or reasons.
Click here to see the full results of the study.